Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – Y Trichant – The 300m Hills of Wales

 

Ffridd y Waun (SH 689 170) 

There has been a Significant Name Change to a hill that is listed in the Y Trichant – The 300m Hills of Wales, with the summit height, bwlch height and their locations, the drop and status of the hill derived from LIDAR analysis conducted by Myrddyn Phillips. 

LIDAR image of Ffridd y Waun (SH 689 170)

The criteria for the list that this name change applies to are: 

Y Trichant – The 300m Hills of Wales – Welsh hills at or above 300m and below 400m in height that have 30m minimum drop, with an accompanying sub list entitled the Sub-Trichant, with the criteria for this sub category being all Welsh hills at or above 300m and below 400m in height with 20m or more and below 30m of drop.  The list is authored by Myrddyn Phillips with the Introduction to the list and the renaming of it appearing on Mapping Mountains on the 13^th May 2017, and the Introduction to the Mapping Mountains publication of the list appearing on the 1^st January 2022. 

Y Trichant - The 300m Hills of Wales by Myrddyn Phillips

The hill is adjoined to the Cadair Idris group of hills, which are situated in the south-western part of North Wales (Region A, Sub-Region A3), and it is positioned with the A493 road to its north and minor roads to its south-west and south-east, and has town of Dolgellau towards the east. 

When the original 300m height band of Welsh P30 hills were published on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website, this hill was not included in the Hills to be surveyed sub list, as it was considered not to meet the criteria then used for this sub category. 

Extract from the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map

When visiting near hills and also making place-name enquiries, I was advised to seek out Emyr Rees; a local farmer who has lived his entire life close to this hill and who gave the name of Ffridd y Waun for the land where the summit of the hill is situated.  As this name was locally derived it is worthwhile documenting it under a Significant Name Changes post.  

Emyr Rees was aged 70 at the time of the enquiry and is a Welsh speaker and has lived all of his life at Tynyceunant (SH 688 152), this farm is situated to the south of the hill.  When we met at the start of the access track leading to his farm Emyr was in the process of fixing a post with a large mallet.  After introducing myself and explaining my interest in upland place-names, I pointed to the hill to our north and asked Emyr its name, he explained that it is a part of Waen Fechan (SH 686 166) land and is known as Ffridd y Waun (the spelling of the word Waun follows standard modern Welsh).  Emyr also gave me a number of other names for near hills or the bounded land where the summit of each was situated, and these have been detailed in previous Significant Name Changes posts. 

Emyr Rees of Tynyceunant

As the summit of this hill comprises bounded land the details for it were examined on the Tithe map.  The term Tithe map is generally given to a map of a Welsh or English parish or township and which was prepared after the 1836 Tithe Commutation Act.  This act allowed tithes to be paid in cash rather than goods.  The Tithe maps gave names of owners and occupiers of land in each parish and importantly for place-name research they also included the name of enclosed land.  This enclosed land is usually based on a field system, however not every field is given a name, but many are and especially so in Wales. 

Extract from the Tithe map

The enclosed land where the summit of this hill is situated is given the number 198 on the Tithe map, this can be cross referenced against the apportionments; it is these apportionments that give the name of the owner or occupier of the land as well as the name of the land.  The land where the summit of this hill is situated is named as Waenfechan in the apportionments, with the details on the Tithe map appearing in the parish of Dolgellau and in the county named as Merioneth. 

Extract from the apportionments

Therefore, the name this hill is listed by in the Y Trichant – The 300m Hills of Wales is Ffridd y Waun and this was derived from local enquiry, with the bounded land where the summit of the hill is situated confirmed by the Tithe map. 

 

The full details for the hill are: 

Group:  Cadair Idris 

Name:  Ffridd y Waun 

Previously Listed Name:  not previously listed 

OS 1:50,000 map:  124

Summit Height:  300.9m (LIDAR)                                                           

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 68949 17020 (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Height:  280.8m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 68971 17068 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  20.1m (LIDAR) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (March 2022)

 

 

 

 

Mapping Mountains – Hill Reclassifications – Y Trichant – The 300m Hills of Wales

 

Ffridd y Waun (SH 689 170) – Sub-Trichant addition

There has been an addition to the list of Y Trichant – The 300m Hills of Wales, with the summit height, bwlch height and their locations, the drop and status of the hill derived from LIDAR analysis conducted by Myrddyn Phillips. 

LIDAR image of Ffridd y Waun (SH 689 170)

The criteria for the list that this addition applies to are: 

Y Trichant – The 300m Hills of Wales – Welsh hills at or above 300m and below 400m in height that have 30m minimum drop, with an accompanying sub list entitled the Sub-Trichant, with the criteria for this sub category being all Welsh hills at or above 300m and below 400m in height with 20m or more and below 30m of drop.  The list is authored by Myrddyn Phillips with the Introduction to the list and the renaming of it appearing on Mapping Mountains on the 13^th May 2017, and the Introduction to the Mapping Mountains publication of the list appearing on the 1^st January 2022. 

Y Trichant - The 300m Hills of Wales by Myrddyn Phillips

The name the hill is listed by is Ffridd y Waun and this was derived from local enquiry, and it is adjoined to the Cadair Idris group of hills, which are situated in the south-western part of North Wales (Region A, Sub-Region A3), and it is positioned with the A493 road to its north and minor roads to its south-west and south-east, and has town of Dolgellau towards the east. 

When the original 300m height band of Welsh P30 hills were published on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website, this hill was not included in the Hills to be surveyed sub list, as it was considered not to meet the criteria then used for this sub category. 

After the sub list was standardised, and interpolated heights and drop values also included the details for this hill were re-evaluated and it was listed with an estimated c 17m of drop, based on an estimated c 301m summit height and an estimated c 284m bwlch height, with both heights based on interpolation of 10m contouring that appear on the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map. 

Extract from the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map

However, it was not until LIDAR became available that the details for this hill could be accurately re-assessed.  The LIDAR (Light Detection & Ranging) technique produced highly accurate height data that is now freely available for much of England and Wales.  

Therefore, the addition of this hill to Sub-Trichant status is due to LIDAR analysis, resulting in a 300.9m summit height and a 280.8m bwlch height, with these values giving this hill 20.1m of drop, which is sufficient for it to be classified as a Sub-Trichant. 

 

The full details for the hill are: 

Group:  Cadair Idris 

Name:  Ffridd y Waun 

OS 1:50,000 map:  124

Summit Height:  300.9m (LIDAR)                                                           

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 68949 17020 (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Height:  280.8m (LIDAR) 

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 68971 17068 (LIDAR) 

Drop:  20.1m (LIDAR) 

 

Myrddyn Phillips (March 2022)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mapping Mountains – Significant Name Changes – Y Trichant - The 300m Hills of Wales

Ffridd y Waun (SH 688 171)

There has been a Significant Name Change to a hill that is listed in the Y Trichant, with the criteria for the list that this name change applies to being:

Y Trichant – Welsh hills at and above 300m and below 400m in height that have 30m minimum drop, with an accompanying sub category entitled the Sub-Trichant consisting of all Welsh hills at and above 300m and below 400m in height that have 20m or more and below 30m of drop.  The list is authored by Myrddyn Phillips and the Introduction to the list and the re-naming and publication history was published on Mapping Mountains on the 13^th May 2017.

The hill is adjoined to the Cadair Idris range of hills which are situated in the south-western part of North Wales (Region A, Sub-Region A3), and it overlooks the stream valley of the Gwynant to its south-west and the A 493 road to its north and has the town of Dolgellau towards its east.  

Ffridd y Waun (SH 688 171)

The hill appeared in the 300m P30 list on Geoff Crowder’s v-g.me website under the name of Dolgledr.  During my early hill listing I paid little regard to name placement on a map, or the meaning of names and to what feature the name was appropriately applied to and used many names that seemingly applied to a hill and whose placement was nearest the summit of the hill on Ordnance Survey maps of the day.  Therefore I prioritised names for listing purposes that I now understand are inappropriate, and as the name of Dolgledr applies to a township associated with Dolgellau it is not appropriate for the name of this hill, and it was a local farmer who has lived the whole of his life close to this hill that gave the name of Ffridd y Waun for the land where the summit of the hill is situated.

Dolgledr

309m

SH689172

124

23

The local farmer is Emyr Rees who is aged 70 and is a Welsh speaker and has lived all of his life at Tynyceunant (SH 688 152), this farm is situated to the south of the hill.  When we met at the start of the access track leading to his farm Emyr was in the process of fixing a post with a large mallet, after introducing myself and explaining my interest in upland place-names, I pointed to the hill to our north and asked Emyr its name, he explained that it is a part of Waen Fechan (SH 686 166) land and known as Ffridd y Waun (the spelling of the word Waun follows standard modern Welsh).  Emyr also gave me a number of other names for near hills or the bounded land where the summit of each was situated, these have been detailed in previous Significant Name Changes posts.

Emyr Rees of Tynyceunant

As the summit of this hill comprises bounded land the details for it were examined on the Tithe map.  The term Tithe map is generally given to a map of a Welsh or English parish or township and which was prepared after the 1836 Tithe Commutation Act.  This act allowed tithes to be paid in cash rather than goods.  The Tithe maps gave names of owners and occupiers of land in each parish and importantly for place-name research they also included the name of enclosed land.  This enclosed land is usually based on a field system, however not every field is given a name, but many are and especially so in Wales.

Extract from the Ordnance Survey 1:25,000 Explorer map

Extract from the Tithe map

The enclosed land where the summit of this hill is situated is given the number 198 on the Tithe map, this can be cross referenced against the apportionments; it is these apportionments that give the name of the owner or occupier of the land as well as the name of the land.  The land where the summit of this hill is situated is named as Waenfechan, with the details on the Tithe map appearing in the county named as Merioneth and in the parish of Dolgelley [sic].

Extract from the Apportionments

Therefore, the name this hill is now listed by in the Y Trichant is Ffridd y Waun, and this was derived from local enquiry, with the bounded land where the summit of the hill is situated confirmed by the Tithe map.

The full details for the hill are:

Group:  Cadair Idris

Name:  Ffridd y Waun

Previously Listed Name:  Dolgledr 

OS 1:50,000 map:  124

Summit Height:  308.2 (LIDAR)

Summit Grid Reference:  SH 68863 17174 (LIDAR)   

Bwlch Height:  230.85m (LIDAR)

Bwlch Grid Reference:  SH 69638 16763 (LIDAR)

Drop:  77.3m (LIDAR)

Myrddyn Phillips (April 2018)